Dumbledore: Patronus and Dementors (specifically Snape's)

[anne_t_squires]

No: HPFGUIDX 173892


>
> Christy:
> 
> > What makes me curious, and I mentioned it before, is
> > assuming Snape did use his Patronus to alert the
> > Order in OOTP, didn't anyone wonder why this dark
> > wizard known for his cruelty had such a mild and
> > meek creature as his Patronus?  (Did the other
> > Patronuses laugh at him?)  

Anne Squires:

I think they were so focussed on rescuing the kids from the DoM that
they didn't laugh at Snape's patronus.  The way I look at it a
patronus is a representation of the caster's positive thoughts as well
as an embodiment of the person to whom the caster owes their
allegiance.  The doe doesn't exactly represent Snape, it represents
the person he loves.  No, I don't think the others laughed.  We don't
even know Sirius' patronus.  


Christy continues:
Not that anyone would
> > have neccessarily made the connection to Lily --
> > that is not important to me -- its the irony that
> > intrigues me.  I can see Sirius saying, "hey, did
> > you guys know that Snape's Patronus is a doe?"  

Anne Squires:  I see that it could have been ironic.  If Sirius had
lived after they returned from the DoM he might have made those
comments.  As it stands he never got the chance.

Christy:
Or,
> > maybe my assumption is wrong; maybe he had another
> > way to talk to the Order, but with Umbridge
> > monitoring all conventional channels of
> > communication I can't see how.


Anne Squires:  

Actually, I always thought Snape had used a mirror like the one Sirius
gave Harry.  This, of course, would make the fact that Harry didn't
use his mirror even more ironic.  I have no canon for this.  It's just
an idea I had before HBP came out and we learned about Patronuses
(Patroni??).  Anyway it was probably a patronus, not a mirror.  I'm
just saying it **could** have been a mirror.

Tawana Campbell wrote:
> 
> But can't people make their patronus change?
> 
Anne Squires: 

 The way I understand it, a caster's patronus **can** change; but the
caster does not control this chage.  At least not consciously.  Nor
can the caster control what form the patronus will take.  The patronus
changes when the person with whom a person most identifies  changes. 
When your "protector" or your "love" changes your patronus changes
automatically.  Thus, when Tonks falls in love with Lupin her patronus
changes to  a wolf; but Tonks did not control this change in patronus. 

Another thing to remember is that DD continued to trust Severus Snape
 because his patronus continued to be a doe after all those years. 
That's why Snape cast a patronus in DD's office, to prove his
continuing loyalty.  If a caster could consciously control the form a
patronus takes then DD would not have accepted this as proof of
Snape's loyalty.  As a matter of fact, if a person could control their
patronus form then Snape would not have even bothered to cast the
patronus, imho.
Anne Squires